The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods of refrigeration a galley of an aircraft.
Aircraft typically include multiple galleys to store food and beverages on the aircraft. The food and beverages are typically stored in galley carts which are transported to the aircraft and stored in refrigerated compartments or zones in the galleys. A refrigeration system is provided with heat exchanger at the top of the galley and air ducts and other components that supply cooled air from the heat exchanger to each of the galley carts in the compartments or zones. The air ducts are routed along the rear wall of the galley to the cart compartment to supply the cooled air to the cart compartment and the galley carts therein and to return the air to the heat exchanger. Typically, the single heat exchanger is used to supply cool air to all of the galley carts and thus cools all of the galley carts to the same temperature. Additionally, because the refrigeration system uses a single heat exchanger, the heat exchanger has a high capacity and uses a large blower or fan to move the air through the system. The large fan is loud and inefficient using a large amount of power.
Additionally, a large amount of space is required for the airflow supply and return components, such as the ducts and the valves that interface with the galley carts. The footprint of the galley is deep enough to accommodate the galley carts as well as the airflow supply and return components. The galleys occupy valuable space within the cabin of the aircraft, which limits the number of passenger seats that may be provided on the aircraft. For example, the airflow supply and return components may add approximately 4-5 inches (in) (10-13 centimeters (cm)) of depth to the galleys, and some aircraft may have eight or more galleys, leading to a large amount of cabin space dedicated to the airflow supply and return components, which may be used for other purposes.